Johnson City, TN, Oct. 2--Mullican Lumber and Manufacturing Co. employee burned a third of his body Tuesday after he accidentally dumped hot ashes on himself.
The accident occurred around 4:30 p.m. at the company's plant in Blackwood, according to plant manager Rick Birchfield.
The Coalfield Progress reported that the employee, whose name is not being released, was airlifted from the scene to Holston Valley Hospital and Medical Center in Kingsport, TN, according to Birchfield. From there, he said, the employee was taken to University of Vanderbilt's burn center in Nashville.
Birchfield said Mullican is conducting an internal investigation into how the accident occurred. The company also is required to report the incident to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, he said.
The ashes are produced during the manufacturing process by two wood-fired boilers, Birchfield explained. The ashes are held in hoppers, cold water is piped in to cool them down and then the hoppers are typically removed by a forklift and emptied.
The ashes are not cooled completely, he said, but the resulting mixture is usually soupy ashes and warm water.
Birchfield said the employee, who has worked for the company for four years, apparently removed the ashes without first using water to cool them and used a piece of equipment other than a forklift to pick up the hoppers and empty them.
After being burned, Birchfield said, the employee walked into the office and told fellow workers he needed an ambulance.
Birchfield didn't know the employee's official medical status.
